Forever After: A Romantic Suspense Novel About Second Chances and Love Between a Mother on the Run and a Small-Town Lawman

by Catherine Anderson

THE PROTECTOR From the moment Heath Masters lays eyes on Meredith Kenyon, he knows there's something mysterious in this pretty woman's past. True, she seems like a good mother to her little daughter, but as local sheriff Heath has seen his share of liars ... and Meredith is certainly hiding something. But though his romantic gestures are met with suspicion, Heath can't help but be drawn to his vulnerable new neighbor. He doesn't entirely trust her, but he sure does want to kiss her THE WOMAN ON THE RUN About to lose her child in a devastating childcustody case, Meredith transformed herseIf from urbanwidow to small town mom, escaping the clutches of her abusive late husband'smanipulative father. Fleeing across America, she ran stright into the armsof the lonely lawman. Heath's persistence melts her misgivings, making her wonder if she could overcome her traumatic former life. But could his love protect her from her past--now and foreve?r THE PROTECTORFrom the moment Heath Masters lays eyes on Meredith Kenyon, he knows theres something mysterious in this pretty womans past. True, she seems like a good mother to her little daughter, but as local sheriff Heath has seen his share of liars. . .and Meredith is certainly hiding something, But through his romantic gestures are met with suspicion, Heath cant help but be drawn to his vulnerable new neighbor. He doesnt entirely trust her, but he sure does want to kiss her. THE WOMAN ON THE RUINAbout to lose her child in a devastating child custody case, Meredith transformed herself from urban widow to small town mom, escaping the clutches of her abusive late husbands manipulative father. Fleeing across America, she ran straight into the arms of the lonely lawman. Heaths persistence melts her misgivings, making her wonder if she could overcome her traumatic former life. But could his love protect her from her past--now and forever?

Genres: Romance, Contemporary Romance, Contemporary, Romantic Suspense, Historical Romance, Abuse, Western Romance

432 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 1998

About the author

Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name. See this thread for more information.
(1)romance author:
Adeline Catherine was born and raised in Grants Pass, Oregon, USA. She always yearned to be a writer like her mother. The morning that one of her professors asked if she could use samples of Catherine’s creative writing on an overhead projector to teach was a dream come true. In 1988, she sold her first book to Harlequin Intrigue and went on to write three more before she tried her hand at a single-title historical romance. Nine books later, she did her first single-title contemporary.

Catherine married Sidney D. Anderson, an industrial electrician and entrepreneur. They had two sons, Sidney D. Jr. and John G. In 2001 she and her husband purchased a central Oregon home located on a ridge with incredible mountain views and surrounded by forestland honeycombed with trails. It was her dream home, a wonderland in the winter and beyond beautiful in the summer. She named it Cinnamon Ridge after the huge ponderosa pines on the property, which sport bark the color of cinnamon.

Sadly, Catherine lost her husband to a long-term illness in 2014. She has kept Cinnamon Ridge as her primary residence but divides her time between there and her son John's farm, where she has the support of her loved ones and can enjoy his horses, cows, and raise her own chickens.

Catherine loves animals and birds, both wild and domestic. She presently has two Australian shepherds, six cats, and a very old canary. She is very family oriented as well. Her older son has lived in Japan, Australia, and now resides in New Zealand. Catherine and her stateside family will celebrate Christmas on the north island with Sidney, his wife Mary, and their two sons, Liam and Jonas.

Reviews

[Rain · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is is one of those stories that manages to be both too much and somehow not quite enough at the same time. It’s a classic romantic suspense setup, a woman on the run, a protective small-town sheriff, and a child caught in the middle.

I honestly thought the story was set in the 1950s. The tone and the dialogue all felt very old-fashioned.

Romantic suspense
Widow, single mom
Small town Sheriff
Second chances
Emotional/physical healing
Goliath was my favorite character

Problems with the story:
- He fondles her while she is handcuffed!!
- He leaves the handcuffs on her while they are running from the bad guys.
- The laundry list of things, her husband did to her was bordering on ridiculous. He put spiders on her while having sex? Not to mention the Russian roulette against her forehead, while also having sex.
- I think the H liked her daughter more than he liked the h.
- Cringe internal dialogue. See below.

She was dreading the grand event. Christ. As if he was that desperate. He didn’t even like blondes, dammit. Especially not a short one with great big eyes, the personality of a rug, and a figure like Popeye’s girlfriend. What was her name? Olive Oil. Or was it Olive Oyle? Hell, what did it matter? The point was, Meredith didn’t have what it took to drive him to rape.

[Rhapsody · Rating 3 out of 5]

Another good book from Anderson. Meredith moves to the middle of no where with her four year old daughter to evade her abusive husband's family and avoid losing custody of her daughter. Heath, the county sheriff, lives next door to them and they end up becoming friends. After her husband's abuse, Meredith can't really trust him but eventually has no choice when her ex father-in-law's goons arrive in town. It was good reading, but I'm beginning to get a little tired of Anderson's 100% wholesomeness. Like Heath, once he realizes Sammy (the daughter) is acquiring his bad habit of swearing, agrees to let her wash his mouth out with soap every time he cusses. Little touches like that make me go, Give me a break. Also, to a certain extent I liked the presence of the little girl--I mean, she was crucial for the plot and all--but I found her somewhat intrusive. There were times when I felt Heath's affection for her sort of overshadowed his romance with Meredith. Maybe I just like the hero to be entirely absorbed with the heroine.

[Elizabeth Bennet · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love the covers on Anderson books. They are simple but appealing. This story took a little bit before the H/h really start to like one another. Meredith Kenyon is hiding with her 4 year old daughter Sammy. Once you begin to understand what her life was like before Oregon you can see why she does not trust easily. Her daughter is scared of most everything and when a stray Rottweiler shows up at their house Merry calls her neighbor, the sheriff, to come get his beast.

Heath Masters is a 38 year old bachlor and is use to receiving his share of chaotic phone calls but when he also hears the racket taking place outside he knows things have gotten out of control. Heath is such a great H once he makes up his mind what is important to him. He has lived his life upholding the law. It stems back to a tragedy that took place when he was 19 years old. He has tried to make up for an accident that his father has never forgave him for.

If youv'e read CA's book before you are aware what she can deliver if you haven't she developes a beautiful relationship between H/h. It is not a simple Wham Bam thank you Maam. Silver Thaw is still my favorite so far but this one has some interesting twist with organized crime. It is not over done but borderline because Heath has a conflict with his duty and what is right but of course it is understandable with all considered. The relationship with Sammy and him is sweet and he gives her that security that every child should have.

***********POSSIBLE SPOILER************

One of the villains in the story is Meredith's late husband and at one point in the story she explains how he delighted in scaring her and what he chose to do it with was spiders. He hid spiders in various spots at vulnerable moments to get a charge from her fear. I was so freaked out because I too can relate to how she must have felt from the shock and frequency of his game. There is a couple love scenes and they are descriptive but tasteful. This book is free from other characters that have romantic interest in either the H/h but it is not without obstacles. Enjoy!

[Sara · Rating 1 out of 5]

I was looking for something easy and fluffy. This fit the bill. But the characters were flat and unlikable, the story totally ridiculous, and the descriptions laughable. Also, I'm not sure why the four year old talked like a middle-aged woman from the backwoods of Appalachia just because her mother was from the South.

[Lizzy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Um dos meus favoritos!
Absolutamente terno e emotivo. Amei essa história. É sempre assim, não tem jeito, sempre quando termino um livro da Catherine Anderson eu me sinto anestesiada. Escapismo? E daí? Essa é a dádiva que a leitura nos proporciona, acreditar esse que esse mundo tem cura, que o ser humano possui qualidades inarredáveis, enfim, que o amor transforma e liberta.
Aqui, Heath e Meredith estão em lados opostos. Ela é uma viúva que está fugindo com sua filha Sammy, usa peruca e lentes de contato, e não deseja em hipótese alguma ser encontrada pelo seu ex-sogro. Ele é um xerife de uma pequena cidade, um homem que encontra no seu trabalho de aplicar a lei uma forma de fugir da culpa que o assola há dezenove anos, desde quando ele ocasionou um acidente que resultou na morte de sua irmã. Como se não bastasse, esse evento doloroso causou uma ruptura na relação entre pai e filho.
No entanto, quando Meredith e Sammy passam a morar na casa vizinha, entra em cena o adorável Goliath. Ele é um cão policial que está aposentado, mas o seu instinto de proteção é imenso. A relação que se estabelece entre Goliath e Sammy é espiritual, algo verdadeiramente tocante, apaixonante. Ele também é uma espécie de elo indissolúvel entre Meredith e Heath. Ele não é apenas um cachorro, mas um dos melhores amigos que alguém pode ter, fiel até o fim.
O relacionamento entre Heath e Meredith demora um pouco a se estabelecer, mas como sempre ocorre nos livros dessa autora, tudo acontece no momento certo. A segunda parte tem uma narrativa cheia de revelações e suspense, vários acontecimentos irão definir o destino dos apaixonados. Heath é um personagem excepcional, ele faz coisas inacreditáveis para proteger Meredith e Sammy, sem falar que...the man was a heart-stopper ❤.
No curso dos acontecimentos, o confronto entre pai e filho se mostra como um dos momentos mais dramáticos do livro. Fiquei com um aperto no peito. Mas, felizmente, não é um livro para entristecer, mas para sonhar. Mais uma vez somos levados a acreditar que podemos ser salvos e curados, e que o amor nos fortalece o suficiente para ficarmos e enfrentarmos o que vier em nossa direção. Lindo! Super recomendo para os fãs de Catherine Anderson!

[Amina Hujdur · Rating 3 out of 5]

Više me dojmio roman Anina pjesma ove autorice. Ovom dajem solidnu ocjenu zbog hepiendovskog završetka i mnogo klišeiziranih momenata.

[Tonya Lucas · Rating 5 out of 5]

Everyone needs to read this book!
Another exceptional book by Catherine Anderson, as only she can deliver. This one is nail-biting, edge of your seat, drama. The romance between Meredith and Heath is intoxicating.
Sammy and Goliath will melt your heartstrings.

[Wendy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another great book from CA. They way she tells the story in her books makes you beleive in love. I especially liked this book because of the storyline. Merideth is hiding from her ex-father in law (mobster) and Heath falls for her not knowing about her problems. He comes through to save her and her child, and keeps his love for her as well. You will like this one alot.

[Claire · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars because the second half felt kind of improbable to me, but cute

[Stephanie Jenkins Ortiz Cerrillo · Rating 5 out of 5]

What an amazing read by Catherine Anderson! Forever After is an expertly written romance with a great plot that has a lot of drama that kept me wanting more! I had a hard time putting this book down. I fell in love with the characters. Sammy and Goliath stole my heart and the love between Meredith and Heath made my heart swell. A true fairy tale type romance stepped up a notch or two.
A must read.

[Valentina T · Rating 3 out of 5]

prosjecna ljubavna prica sa sladunjavim krajem.
sama ideja, prica, mi se svidjela: zena uzima kci I odlazi u nepoznato kako bi spasila sebe I dijete od mafijaske obitelji u koji se udala. kasnije pronalazi ljubav svoga zivota koji ju spasi od svih problema koje izaziva njezin svekar I njegova potraga za njima. nije mi se svidio nacin pripovijedanja, unutarnji monolozi koji se svode na tumacenje misli drugoga lika, posve pogresno naravno, sto izaziva nesuglasice I prepreke u daljnjem odnosu.
ali na kraju sve biva rijeseno, svi se slazu i vole do kraja zivota a krivac biva kaznjen
ocjena 3 1/2

[Robin · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fleeing with her four-year-old daughter Sammy after a heated custody battle, Meredith Kenyon moves into a run-down house in Oregon and right next-door to the county sheriff. She hopes that her disguise and a low-profile will keep her off of her father-in-law's radar. Sheriff Heath Masters knows his new neighbor is keeping secrets. Both she and her young daughter seem to be afraid of men. The only male they seem to love is his Rottweiler, Goliath. Heath is drawn to his vulnerable neighbor and hopes she will soon begin to trust him.

This is a contemporary romance featuring a tormented heroine and the sheriff who helps her. But the biggest star of this book is the sheriff's dog, Goliath, who sometimes is much smarter than his human counterparts. He knows young Sammy needs a friend. And he somehow knows she needs protection. He's much quicker at figuring things out than the sheriff.

I liked the story, but thought it was buried in a book with too much inner thought. There was pages and pages of Meredith worrying about being caught. More pages of Heath thinking about what kind of secrets his neighbor is keeping. A little editing could have made a world of difference. My rating: 3.5 Stars.

[Jessie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a fairly powerful, intense read. How Heath and Meredith's relationship progresses feels real, especially Meredith's reluctance to pursue a relationship and Heath's struggle to overcome his anger and to understand her situation. There were times where I would feel frustrated, even angry with Heath's reactions to Meredith opening up about the abuse she suffered and how that influences her view and expectations of men.  There are multiple times where Heath would initially react with anger when Meredith would make assumptions of his character that he found offensive - but then he would actually take the steps to understand why she would make those assumptions, apologize for his reactions, and correct his thinking. I found it refreshing to see this character development for the male protagonist so that rather than just the female lead going on a journey of healing, the male lead also experiences a great deal of growth regarding his own thinking. 
I will warn that this book has potential triggers for some regarding physical, sexual, and mental abuse. It's a very rough read at times but overall, still pretty enjoyable.

[Martina · Rating 5 out of 5]

Heath Masters, okružni šerif u Oregonu, poslao je svoga psa Goliatha do susjedne djevojčice. Nakon par sati uspaničeno ga je nazvala žena i rekla da dođe jer će je napasti i poklopila. Trebalo mu je dugo da shvati da je riječ o njegovu psu Goliathu, koji je htio zaštiti Sammy od njezine majke Meredith Kenyon jer je mislio da ona predstavlja opasnost. Heath je pokušao objasniti Meredith da je Goliath policijski pas i da nikada ne bi naudio djetetu već da je sva odlikovanja koja je dobio, dobio zato što je spasio djecu i da je osjetio da je Sammy u opasnosti. Meredith nije htjela prihvatiti isprike nego je rekla da drži Goliatha podalje. Poslije su otkrili da je Goliath ipak dolazio do Sammy i da su Sammy i on postali najbolji prijatelji. I Heath se zainteresirao za Meredith. Imao je problema na poslu jer je spašavao pijane tinejdžere bez da ih je kažnjavao zbog čega su roditelji počeli sa peticijom da ga se makne. Probleme mu je stvarao i jedan od njegovih zamjenika Tom Moore, čiji je otac bio gradonačelnik. Tom je želio doći na Heathovo mjesto. Kad je shvatio da bi se Sammy i Meredith mogle ozlijediti u unajmljenoj kući, odlučio je otići do njihovog najmodavca i natjerati ga da da udio za popravak kuće i on se ponudio za majstora. Kada je došao ispred Meredithine kuće s kolcima, nije ga željela tu, a nije ga mogla otjerati. Bojala se da bi mogao saznati sve o njoj. Naime, ona je pobjegla od svoga svekra Glena Calendrija, Vladinog čovjeka koji je želio skrbništvo nad svojom unukom. Zbog toga je Meredith i uzela to ime, u zamjenu za Mary i za kćerku Samantha umjesto Tamare i iz New Yorka pobjegla u Oregon. Bojala se da bi je Glenovi ljudi mogli naći i zbog toga je stalno bila u strahu. A Heath kao šerif mogao je u svakom trenutku otkriti tko je ona. Kako je radio kod njih na kući, tako je i Meredith prihvatila Goliatha u kući, kao što joj se i Heath počeo sviđati, pogotovo nakon njezine ozljede ruke. Naime, kad ju je Heath dozvao, ona se porezala nožem dok je gulila krumpir i onda ju je on odvezao na hitnu. Dok je Merry bila na šivanju, Heath se zbližio sa Sammy. Zbog toga što Merry nije mogla ništa s rukom, Heath je i radio na popravljanju kuće i kuhao im. Kad se Meredithina ruka oporavila, Heath se pobojao da njih dvije više neće viđati. Dok je jednom radio kod njih, novinari su došli i radili reportažu o njemu. Meredith je vidjela kako je kamera uhvatila Sammy i u kadru i pošla za njom. Bio je to dan godišnjice smrti Heathove sestre i novinar je tražio od njega da mu prizna da je sa 19 godina vozio pijan i time odveo sestru u smrt, kao i da ga je njegov otac, poznati odvjetnik, izvukao od zatvora. Meredith je poslije otišla do Heatha u dvorištu koji joj je nakon nekog vremena sve priznao. Vozio je pijan i njegova sestra je umrla, kamionet joj je zgnječio lubanju. Tek tada je Meredith shvatila zašto Heath radi s tinejdžerima. Poslije se Meredith zabrinula zbog reportaže i pošto su bile zamagljenje, mislila je da ih Glen neće primjetiti. No Glenu je djevojčica ličila na njegovu unuku i poslao je svoje ljude da to istraže. Delgado se predstavio kao prodavač enciklopedija kako bi bolje vidio da li je to Mary Calendri i prilikom njegove posjete Goliath ga je ugrizao. Meredith je nazvala Heatha koji je potom nazvao stanicu i poslali su Toma Moorea. Delgado je odlučio da ne želi prijaviti ugriz i otišao te javio Glenu kako su pronašli Mary i Tamaru. Heathu, Tomu i Meredith nije bilo jasno što se dogodilo, ali kad je Tom otišao, Heath je objašnjavao Meredith da bi trebao prijaviti Goliatha za ugriz i da će ga najvjerojatnije htjeti eutanazirati jer je kao policijski pas koji grize opasan. Heath se lomio sam sa sobom, Meredith ga je napala pa mu se ispričala, ali je na kraju ipak prijavio ugriz. Na dan suđenja Meredith je spakirala sve stvari i odlučila ako osude Goliatha da pobjegne s njim i Sammy. No, kad je išla provijeriti Sammy, nje nije bilo u krevetu. Tražeći je, Merry se ozlijedila i razbarušila i kad ju je Heath ugledao autom te mu ona stala objašnjavati da Sammy nije, bio je bijesan što vidi da je Meredith plavuša i da ima plave oči umjesto smeđe vlasulje i smeđih leća. Pretražujući sve, Heath je našao Sammy u Goliathovoj kućici. Tada mu je Sammy ponudlila da otkupi Goliatha i dala mu važnu lekciju iz prijateljstva. Kad se tog dana vratio na posao sa Goliathom, Heath je tražio tko je Meredith, dok ga je Goliath upozoravao da trebaju ići. Naime, kad je Meredith odlučila otići sa Sammy i skuhati im večeru, nestalo je struje i napali su ih Delgado i Nelson. Uspjele su preživjeti samo zato što je Sammy pobjegla pa su muškarci izgubili vrijeme tražeći je i vračajući. Kad su ponovo krenuli ubrizgati Merry smrtonosnu dozu, došao je Heath s Goliathom i spasio ih. U borbi je jednoga i ubio. Sve je prijavio i zatočio Merry. Ona mu je ispričala svoju životnu priču i na kraju je odlučio pobjeći s njom, Sammy i Goliathom. U njihovom bijegu ih je napalo vozilo i Heath je ubio muškarce i odlučio ostaviti karijeru iza sebe zbog ljubavi prema Merry i Sammy. Odveo je ih je u prijateljevu kolibu. Odlučio je u cijelu situaciju uplesti oca Iana s kojim se prvo posvadio, ali je Merry ustrajala da se njih dvojica pomire, pa im je na kraju Ian odlučio pomoći. Za tri dana su se vratili do Iana koji je organizirao da FBI ispita Meredith i da ona i Sammy dobiju zaštitu. Odvedene su na nepoznato mjesto dok Glen i njegovi suradnici nisu osuđeni. Nakon 18 mjeseci, ona i Sammy slijeću na nepoznato tlo, no ne dočekuje ih Heath kako su se obje nadale, nego taksi koji ih odvodi do raskošnog imanja. Na kraju ih ipak čekaju Goliath i Heath, koji žive i sa Ianom koji se povukao u mirovinu. Ali je Heath doveo i Meredithine roditelje i oni žive na imanju pokraj njihovog.

[Shera Melton · Rating 2 out of 5]

I am DNFing this book at 53%. I just can't. I don't like the hero, the heroine, or the kid. I actually kind of hate them. And nothing is actually happening in this book. It's all talk, no action. The little action we do have is boring and I have read in other books of CA before, and it feels like reading the same book again. Minus the likable characters in that one.

[Pat · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was close to giving this book 4 stars but for once I didn't like the happily ever after ending. I prefer those kind of endings but this one wasn't believable considering the heroine was running from organized crime.

[Pamela(AllHoney) · Rating 5 out of 5]

This turned into a 5 star read for me. Meredith and her daughter are on the run from her father-in-law. She ends up moving in next door to the local sheriff.

[Nas Far · Rating 4 out of 5]

Catherine Anderson as usual always delivers. This book is very realistic and you completely understand the constant fear of the h. The book was a little slow paced but very emotional.

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is actually my second time reading this book! It has a pretty, new cover!

Actual rating is 3.5 stars, but i bumped it

Thought and Plot

Heath Ian Masters is the county sheriff. He lives by himself with his retired police dog on a small ranch with only one neighbor, who recently rented the property down the road. When his dog takes to protecting the neighbor's terrified little girl, even Heath has problems calling him off. Not a good first impression for his new neighbor Meredith Kenyon.

Determined to win her over and figure out why his dog keeps making a beeline for her little girl, Heath takes it upon himself to fix up her rental property after 'talking' to her landlord. It quickly becomes apparent that the little girl, Sammy is terrified of him. And after he accidentally scares her mother while she's cutting potatoes, a hospital run shows just how scared she is. The big man earns a bit of Sammy's trust, which is good because he realizes he will make no head way with her mother, Meredith.

Heath knows that something is up with them, but he can't quite put his finger on it. Through slips of the tongue while she's medicated to the gills, Heath figures Meredith is on the run from an abusive ex-husband. He finds himself getting overly attached to Sammy and her mother, and vows to try to help them however he can, if Meredith would only trust him and let him in.

Meredith Kenyon (Mary Lynn is her real name), is a single mother determined to keep her baby girl safe. Even after her divorce she couldn't keep her ex-husband from having visitation rights and she slowly watched as her happy little girl turned into a fearful child. When a car accident kills her former husband, she knows his father will stop at nothing to have the sole heir to his criminal empire. Her only choice is to run, and hide under a new identity until he dies. But he's not going to make it easy for her and her damn next door Sheriff Masters won't stay out of her life, or her house.

For the most part I still (having apparently read it before) really like this book. This time I had an older copy of it and noticed a few spelling and grammatical mistakes. Not a biggie. Just required a full stop and re-reading of the sentence to figure out what it was actually supposed to say. I can't really say there was anything terribly wrong, other then how quickly Meredith and Sammy's behaviours flip.

I can see a little girl deciding to trust a big strong man who has only ever shown her kindness completely after a couple of weeks. He works really hard to win her over. Her mother on the other hand...after a year of physical, emotional, psychological and sexual abuse I find it difficult to believe that Heath had such an easy time 'persuading' her to bed. I also couldn't believe just how quickly the complete trust switch was flipped in her. Her ex-husband had buttered her up right up to the point she signed the marriage document. Then he treated her like a slave worth less than his dogs. Yet Heath gets her in bed and all the sudden she's not afraid at him when he rages at her, or behaves a bit like her ex. She fine. Just fine...hard time believing that which is why it's not a higher star rating in my book.


In Conclusion

Forever After is a romance between a sheriff and a woman with a daughter on the run from a her late ex-husband's father (say that 10 times fast, eh?). I enjoyed 90% of the book without any real quarrels. I did, however, have issues towards the end when psychological issues seemed to just be magically fixed. People don't just 'get over' that kind of abuse.

[Brandy S · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have one major complaint: I know this was written in the 90s and society has greatly evolved regarding abuse of all kinds, so I'll give it some grace. But the female character's instant recovery with the right man is magical farce. You cannot take a woman who has been emotionally, sexually and physically abused and heal her overnight because a "good guy" loves her. Healing from that takes years, decades, a lifetime. It may never happen. The insta-healing in this cheapened the real impact of abuse.

By the same token, there are scenes in this story that would have caused incredible flashbacks, renewed trauma and possibly ended the new relationship. Examples:

"He snapped his fingers and pointed at his feet. 'We're leaving.'"

"He leveled a finger at her. 'Meredith Lynn, get your ass up off that g********* porch!'"

"(To a child:) 'Your mother is about to find out what will happen if she pushes me too far.'"

Those are things you CANNOT say to an abuse victim. They are full-on triggers and would bring some people to their knees. Those scenes and statements could be difficult for some readers.

Otherwise, the storyline is solid, character development is great, action lives up. I've enjoyed all Anderson's books that I've read.

[kat · Rating 2 out of 5]

As a 90s teen I read Anderson's Comanche series and it was a long time ago but I think I was into it? Enough to pick this up when I saw it on Kindle Unlimited. Except in my head Anderson was a historical romance writer; I didn't realise she wrote contemporary novels and I didn't bother to read the blurb beforehand. So this was both a shock and a slog (I started in February and finished in June?!). Bro they don't even /kiss/ until 80%! I mean, that's okay but the FMC is a domestic/sexual violence survivor with a very natural fear of physical intimacy but don't worry because the MMC is going to cure her with his magic tongue basically. I grew up reading dub-con and non-con and body betrayal and all sorts and generally consider myself pretty immune, but the MMC actually says (after all this), "I left out the part about carrying you to the bed and raping your sweet ass." Heath no. That is far from sexy honestly. (Also just to underscore that he says this to a sexual violence survivor, after they have had conversations about the sexual violence, etc.) The FMC's kid was kind of annoying to me. I will say however that the (non-sex) action parts were actually kind of exciting!

[Jerry Jares · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is the 16th book I've read by Catherine Anderson; she is one of my favorite authors.  However, this book isn't one of them.  Although Sammy was the plot point upon which much of the story rested, I didn't like having her in it. Usually, I like kids in a book but Sammy seemed more important than the hero and heroine.
 
The story plodded along; the inclusion of organized crime and washing out mouths seemed ridiculous.  I skip-read hunks of the book because some of it seemed implausible.  The story just took too long. However, one stinker won't turn me off of reading Anderson's work.  Most of her books are on my favorites shelf.

[Amy · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a nice, if emotional, story. Anderson once again amazes me with the depth and intensity she imbues into her characters. We see Meredith trying so hard to escape a bad life and build a new one for her daughter. She finds herself falling for Heath but those same feelings scare her based on her past. Heath is equally smitten with Meredith and her daughter but is also gunshy about trusting for completely different reasons. They struggle through one obstacle after another as they try to build a relationship and heal. Sammy (the daughter) and Goliath (the dog) are main characters who caused many of my tears and cheers through this one.

[Ian Mcnamara · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really enjoyed this book, i've read it a few years a go and enjoyed it then and my second read did not disapoint.

Meradith is running from her dead husband's father who wants custody of her daughter, hoping to live aa quiet life she's at first annoyed when Heath Masters dog decides to pay a visit to make friends with her little girl. However gradually as Heath sarts to help with house work and helps Meradith when she's injoured and seeing how her daughter blossems under the atention Heath and his dog gives her Meradith starts to trust him.

When her past comes back to haunt her will Meridith and Heath finally get the love they deserve?

[Jeanne (love2cook) · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a nice little romance story with a woman who had the worse marriage to an abusive husband and manipulative father-in-law. She has taken her daughter and ran into hiding, where she had the good fortune of ending up living next door to the sheriff. She is fearful of men and suspicious of them being like her dead husband. The sheriff has his hands full trying to have her trust him to be different. A good read!

[Beth · Rating 4 out of 5]

The small town Sheriff and his very special dog have new neighbors. He is drawn to the pretty lady and her young daughter, who are in desperate need of love and security but haunted by the past and fearful of being found out. While his gut instincts warn him to not get involved, he can't ignore the attraction of the child and his dog. A real thriller as the past and present danger returns to their lives.
This book is hard to put down.

[Lyndsey Bookish Nature · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another good Catherine Anderson book! She is quickly becoming one of my favorite authors;) This is the story of Meredith and Heath (and Sammy and Goliath). This is a high drama, action, romance set in Oregon. This is a book about love, overcoming abuse, strength, courage, and family. I really enjoyed this book, however, it could be a trigger for those who have been victims of domestic violence.

[~Nichole~ Sizzling Pages Romance Reviews · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the Catherine Anderson I have come to know and adore. Heath is the hero my heart longs for. Truly and totally everything i love. Merry gave him a run for his money. Little Sammy definitely stole the show. But oh sweet brave Goliath that dog made this story everything it could be.



100% Safe

[Cosette Butler · Rating 1 out of 5]

I've read a couple of her books now & don't think I will try another. I read Silver Thaw before this one & after a couple of chapters, I thought I was reading the same book! Abused mom escapes with traumatized child, meets hunky hero with massive hero dog. Again!

Ms. Anderson has written a lot of books. I can't help but wonder if they aren't essentially all the same story.

[Amanda Schaefer · Rating 5 out of 5]

My first Anderson book, and it was absolutely incredible. I loved the characters and for the first time in a while I wasn’t able to predict every twist and turn in the book. I experienced so many emotions while reading this book and couldn’t help but crack up during some of the Sammy moments. A must read!